Is a Ruger MK II worth the effort?

G

Gremlin

New member
I'm thinking of picking up a bull barrel, stainless, 5 1/2" Ruger Mark 2 and went through the instruction manual. Did my eyes deceive me or is there no fewer than ELEVEN steps required for re-assembly? And it was accompanied by warnings that improper placement of the firing pin stop can "render the pistol useless"? It recommended using "a paper clip, looped over the latch" and a "plastic or wood mallet only" as tools to facilitate the process.

Then you have to first tilt the weapon up, then to the ground, then invert it, then point it up again... sheesh... no pistol is worth this kind of effort is it?

And that's my question, is the Ruger Mark II worth the effort?

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Take the long way home...
 
Well, I own the 22/45. Same basic re-assembly process. I am glad I didn't read those instructions till I got home from shooting. The gun functions flawlessly, and is the best .22 I could ever hope for. And it isn't that expensive to boot. It took me several trys to get it re-assembled the first time. You know you have it wrong when you cycle the action once or twice. But now I can do it relativly easily. No special tools really required. Just good hearing and being able to look into dark small places.
Forgot to answer. Yes I think it is worth it, but it is a pain to put back together.

[This message has been edited by Andrewh (edited June 27, 2000).]
 
IMHO, once you disassemble and reassemble the pistol once or twice, you should be able to do it in your sleep. The instructions become clearer when you actually have the pistol in front of you. For me, it was more of a pain to remove the pin that holds the bolt in when the pistol was new than it was to put the thing together. So don't let your fears dissuade you from buying one!
 
Actually, last time I went shooting, I didnt bring my MrkII along, just because I knew of how hard it is to take it down and put it back together. Even though it is a great gun, damn is that thing hard to clean. But, it is worth the effort because it is a very good gun, and a great shooter, and will last for a long time.
 
No, they are not the easiest to clean and take down- but once you get the hang of it, its not really a big issue.

Besides, the Mk II is such a gorgeous gun (IMO) and functions flawlessly- at least it does with top grade ammo. Its extremely fun to shoot, and since they are so reasonably priced- there is little chance you will regret the decision.

Go get it, you'll like it very much.

[This message has been edited by JG (edited June 27, 2000).]
 
It's not as hard as it sounds, and as Engineer stated it gets to be second nature after about five times.

Definitely worth it. I have the 6 7/8" barrel and am starting to wish I had the model you are contemplating, for reasons of weight and balance. Although the MkII 678 comes with scope mount and rings, which make it a fun piece indeed.

Best wishes,

Ledbetter
 
I had some problem first time I tried to put Ruger together, but I did not read the manual before I started. Still was able to figure it out IN 20 MINUTES, with a little help from the manual.

Now it takes me between 7 and 9 seconds to
completely reassemble Ruger MKII. I think
Ruger design is fantastic...no kidding.
 
Gremlin, let's put it this way...if you are hearing impaired, this baby is not going back together!

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Come on Larry, it's not that hard. :) I think the difficulty of breakdown/reassembly of the Mk II is grossly exaggerated.

About 6 months ago, I decided to try to adjust the trigger overtravel on my Mk II. To do this you have to completely break it down to get to the adjustment screw in the trigger assembly. The adjustment is very touchy and 1/10th of a turn makes a big difference. So I had to break it down and reassemble it at least 12 times before I had it right. (Is that a good design for an overtravel adjustment? No, but that's not what we're talking about.) Anyway, at the end of that session I could break it down in about 30 seconds and reassemble it in less than about 45 seconds. That was more practice than I wanted, but it becomes very easy after you learn the nuances of it.

A good explanation of the procedure can be found here: http://www.ontargetguns.com/striptip.html
 
Yes Sir, It is worth it. I own a Ruger MK-II
KMK-512; same gun you are speaking of, and
it's definitely worth the investment. In most
instances, this firearm will out-shoot the
shooter!!! :D

Regards,
Ala Dan, Life Member N.R.A.
 
I haven't had to take my 5" bull barrel apart. I spray some "One Shot" cleaner in the action after cleaning the bore, and it functions fine. I've probably put 2000 rounds through it, and will probably have to take it apart soon. Just another advantage of the stainless model, I guess. It will keep 50 rounds in the black at 25 yards, two hand hold and that's as much as I can expect! (and more than most of my other guns!)
 
California Hunter, your story intrigues me. Mine is sensitive to dirt, fouling etc. I assume you clean out the chamber and bolt face? What ammo?
 
Ledbetter
I've had two stainless MK II's. Clean every 500 rounds or so. I just brush and patch the bore, pull the grips and douche out the internals with spray carb cleaner, then lube. I have not as yet pulled my 2nd Ruger down for field stripping. I have yet to have a gun related malfunction. A couple of ammo ignition problems, but no feeding or cycling pronlems.

My ammo consists of WW Wildcat, WW PowerPoint, CCI Stinger and a couple of others that I don't recall at the moment.

All my bud's MKI's & MII's have been very reliable also. But I have had problems with 3 other Ruger's - 2 revolvers and 1 rifle. Maybe you got a lemon. It's possible.

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Just one of the Good Guys
 
I keep a rubber millet and a safety pin handy for dis/re-assembly work on the Ruger. The trickest part is during re-assembly, I tilt the gun about 30 degrees in order for the latch pin to align in the middle and properly re-engage. It tooked a while to figured this out at first. but like the Engineer said "once you disassemble and reassemble the pistol once or twice, you should be able to do it in your sleep." I must agree that the manaul was not written for first timer. :D
 
I have the MK512, the blued version and wish I had the stainless as I am like the proverbial bull in the china shop and murder on blue.

I sometimes fill in as safety officer on the local public range and always kid MKII owners that they are not allowed to miss, that the Rugers shoot like the bullets are computer directed or something. Not quite true, but not far off as the Rugers are inherently very accurate.

Actually it is quite simple to reassemble the Rugers. The ballet required to reassemble a MKII seems to intimidate some people, but it seems the generations that follow mine are mechanically impaired. In my generation we all grew up with a close involvement with things mechanical.
 
Hi, Ledbetter - I use a cleaner called "One Shot", I think by Hornady. It is the best I've found at cleaning the black fouling off stainless steel. I clean the bore and chamber as usual with regular solvent, then spray the bolt face and action with the One Shot cleaner and either let it drain through the grips or use a toothbrush if it's really dirty. When I go to the range, I always pick up the MKII when I'm getting frustrated with the bigger guns. (Which happens all too often!) It's not uncommon for me to run through 400 or 500 rounds of Walmart bulk pack Federal HP's or Remington HP's...nothing fancy...whatever's available for $9.99 for 550. Of course, I only shot three or four clip-loads at a time.

[This message has been edited by Calif Hunter (edited June 28, 2000).]
 
LEMON!?!?!?!?! :mad:

You're talking about my baby! ;)

Now I've got to go shoot as many rounds as I can without cleaning it. It's always something :D

[This message has been edited by Ledbetter (edited June 28, 2000).]
 
Oh yeah, it's worth it. The MKII is a damn fine little pistol (IMHO). I was a little intimidated by the instructions at first, but actually having the gun in hand makes it easier and it isn't so bad after all.

Jack
 
Yes, If that little pin (AO3500 firing pin stop) is not put back in before assemly, the next time you shoot the gun it will ding the firing pin into the chamber and this is not very good. Some of the MkII's when the bolt is taken out the pin will fall out by itself undetected by an uninformed owner.

Joefo
 
dont get any thing else
i made the mistake of getting a *&* mod 422 and the trigger pull was pure lawyer designed.thought i had it with pistol .22s and bought a Single-Six. good gun but not an auto. friend sold me this one and the only prob is that its not ss.
cant wait to shoot it again.
now i want a ruger sp101 4" .22 just to round out the collection.


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GLOCK 19
REM 870
RUGER SINGLE SIX
REM 700
RUGER MKII
MY FAVORITES
 
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